Gt Brit HISTORICAL MANUSCRIPTS COMMISSION. CH Presented to both Houses of Parliament by Command of Her Majesty. PRINTED FOR HER MAJESTY'S STATIONERY OFFICE, PRINTERS TO THE QUEEN'S MOST EXCELLENT MAJESTY. And to be purchased, either directly or through any Bookseller, from EYRE AND SPOTTISWOODE, EAST HARDING STREET, FLEET STREET, E.C., and 32, ABINGDON STREET, WESTMINSTER, S.W.; or JOHN MENZIES & Co., 12, HANOVER STREET, EDINBURGH, and 90, WEST NILE STREET, GLASGOW; or HODGES, FIGGIS, & Co., LIMITED, 104, GRAFTON STREET, DUBLIN. 1897. [C.-8327.] Price 1s. 8d. THE MANUSCRIPTS OF J. ELIOT HODGKIN, ESQ., F.S.A., OF CHILDWALL, RICHMOND, SURREY. This collection of papers belongs to the class usually spoken of as "made collections" by connoisseurs of historical archives, in contradistinction to the accumulations of manuscripts that have slowly proceeded during successive centuries from the correspondence and business. transactions of historic families or ancient corporations. Resembling all other similar collections, in that its multifarious evidences lack the particular continuity that contributes so largely to the enjoyment with which a student examines the muniments of an ancient family or corporate body, Mr. Hodgkin's assemblage of documents is also characterised by the piquant and animating diversity that is one of the usual and peculiar qualities of "made collections." In other respects it merits commendation. The proportion of valueless matter is small, and its multifarious treasures have been annotated with much learning and literary address by their owner, who knows thoroughly the manuscripts in which he delights, and has illustrated most of them with explanatory comments. With the single exception of a thirteenth century copy of Magna Charta, which was acquired by Mr. Hodgkin since my inspection of his MSS., none of the collector's writings came into existence before the fifteenth century. Consisting of (1) a contemporary copy on velium of the Oath of Allegiance and Fealty to Henry VI., taken by Richard, third Duke of York, in St. Paul's Cathedral on March 10th, 1452 (a most interesting document); (2) a Grant of Arms made in 1470 to Thomas Elys, gentleman, by William Hawkeslowe, "otherwyse called Clarenceux King Armes of the South marches of Englande"; (3) a Writ under the Signet and Sign Manual of Henry VII., dated on December 1st, 1496, and addressed to Maister Simound Stalworth, Sub-Dean of Lincoln Cathedral, who was thereby required to lend the King 207. by way of benevolence, toward the further sum of 40,0007., needful for the vigorous prosecution of the war against the King of Scots and the invasion of the kingdom of Scotland; and (4) four MS. Books, the writings of the fifteenth century are no more than seven. The sixteenth century manuscripts number in all. 53; the seventeenth-century manuscripts, including thirteen books, are 378 in number; the writings of the eighteenth century, inclusive of the 65 matters touching the Chevalier D'Eon, number 209; whilst the collection contains no more than 14 writings penned in the nineteenth century. In dealing with these 661 manuscripts or sets of α 88428. Wt. |